Having progressed through the ranks together at Barcelona, Hector Bellerin and Jon Toral both joined Arsenal in the summer of 2011.

But their journeys haven't been forever intertwined. Now, in 2017, Bellerin is Arsenal's first-choice right-back, recently signed a new long-term contract at the club and has represented Spain at senior level.

Toral, meanwhile, has only featured for the Arsenal senior side in friendlies, while he hasn't been called up by Spain since the U19 age group and is in now in his fourth loan spell away from the Gunners after completing a move to Rangers for the rest of 2016/17.

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So, how did it come to this? Why is Bellerin living the dream and Toral still wondering whether he will fulfil his? Let's take it back to the beginning.

It was in February 2011, around the time of that cataclysmic Carling Cup final defeat to Birmingham City, that rumours first surfaced of Toral potentially joining Arsenal.

The "new Fabregas" tag was inevitably applied, but the talk was of a La Masia graduate that Barcelona really didn't want to lose. Capable of playing precise passes with regularity and an excellent dribbler, Toral appeared to be a real find.

Bellerin was certainly much more than an additional extra, but, when the duo did finally arrive at London Colney, it was Toral around whom there was significantly more hype. With Cesc Fabregas leaving there was hope that his natural replacement had just arrived at the club.

But it was Bellerin who made the biggest impact. Initially deployed as a winger, his searing speed was a major asset at youth level.

U18s coach Steve Bould dedided to move Bellerin to right-back and, while he struggled with the defensive side of the game at first, he soon became increasingly assured.

Toral and Bellerin are close friends off the field

Toral was also making progress, albeit at a slightly slower rate. There were some excellent assists but the prospect soon started to suffer an increasing amount of injuries, which would hinder his progress.

Both players soon stepped up to what was then the U21s and didn't appear fazed by taking on some opponents who were significantly older than them.

Bellerin received his first call-up to the senior side in the 2012/13 campaign as he made the bench in the League Cup, with his debut following in the same competition the following season.

There's a huge contrast in trajectories of the two Spaniards at Arsenal

Toral, though, had to wait, with the plethora of midfielders at Arsenal's disposal not helping his cause.

It was Bellerin who went on loan first as he had a spell with Watford in 2013/14, but, although that venture wasn't especially successful, he returned to Arsenal and eventually succeeded Bacary Sagna as Arsenal's first-choice right-back.

Toral, through little fault of his own, is still out there fighting for his chance. Set to turn 22 next month, the midfielder has already proven that he is more than capable of thriving at Championship level - his spells at Brentford and Birmingham City are testament to that.